The Raven and the Beast
by germaniclad2464
Summary: AU of Raven and Beast boy in a fantasy setting. Rachel and Garfield are two outcasts that meet by chance and begin to develop feelings for one another. If you are looking for a quality story, you've come to the wrong place. This is just something that I decided to write.
1. Rachel and Garfield

Rachel was a young girl, quiet and introverted. She lived alone in a house in the middle of an immense forest, isolated from any other human being. Despite only being a teenager, she was very efficient in her everyday life. Every day she would harvest her small garden, prepare her meals and clean her house. However, Rachel had one talent that she used to help her everyday life.

Magic

She was a witch, but not in a bad way. She did not murder people and use their bones to make potions, she was very kind and never used her magic for anything evil. She only used her gift to help her do her chores, hunt during the winter and, on rare occasions, defend herself from dangerous animals.

However, her powers did not simply come to her. Her mother was a hard-working peasant, who made one of the worst mistakes possible. She met a handsome man, and instantly fell in love. So blinded by love that a mere few days after meeting him, she was to bear his child. But the man she loved was not who he thought he was. The handsome man was in reality a powerful sorcerer named Trigon, and the child would be his pupil in the ways of black magic.

Horrified by this, she fled to the woods where she found the home of an old wizard named Azar. She allowed her to stay and took care of her until she gave birth to a baby girl. She was far from being normal, however. Her skin was a shade of pale gray, and both her eyes and hair were violet.

Unfortunately, the mother died while giving birth to her child, leaving her infant daughter in the hands of the helpful wizard. She did as best she could to raise young Rachel, teaching how to live out in the middle of the woods and showing her how her powers could be used for good. Sadly, when she was only ten, the wizard had developed a sickness.

"Rachel" the weak old woman spoke with difficulty "You must listen to what I have to say"

"I am listening"

She coughed horribly "I am dying. Soon, you will be alone here"

"Azar" she said "You can't die, I still have so much to learn"

"And in time" the wizard continued to cough "You will learn" She put his palm to her face "You were… the closest thing… to a daughter… I-"

Her words ended along with her life. And for the first time ever, Rachel felt a sense of loss in her life. She immediately buried her next to a tree and wrote something on that tree.

 _Here lies Azar, great wizard, teacher and friend_

Remembering her teachings, the young girl continued her life in the woods. She continued to learn magic through some old books that he had.

And since then, the young witch had continued her life. With the wizard's books and teachings, she knew how to heal injuries, fly and much more. She never wished to rejoin the outside world. The wizard had told her horrible stories about witches being burned at the stake, and she obviously did not want that to happen to her.

"Maybe" she thought to herself "Fate will have me meet someone who will understand my troubles"

* * *

Garfield was a very gentle young man. Since he had no home, he was always travelling to different parts of the forest he was in. He would rarely stay in the same place twice, unless it was winter, and would gather all the berries and fruits he could find in that area. His nomadic lifestyle was not without reason though.

Garfield had grown up in a peasant family, with a decent house and loving parents. When he was young though, he became very ill. His parents had contacted many doctors, but none of them could cure him. Desperate to save his son's life, his father asked the help of a witch to cure him. She concocted a potion which did indeed cure Garfield of his illness, but had multiple side-effects. His appearance had become anything but normal. His skin was a shade of green, his ears were pointed like an elf and some of his teeth had sharpened to short fangs. Unfortunately, the witch was unable to counter the effects and while his parents were shocked by his changes, they were also overjoyed to see that he was going to be alright. A few weeks after he was cured, he gained a strange ability. He was able to transform into any animal he wanted, from a tiny insect to a large bear.

His parents kept him a secret from everyone else, doubting that his powers and appearance would grant him the townspeople's affection. For years, he remained hidden from the other peasants. On one day however, he decided to go against his parents' wishes and discover the world he was kept from. The events of that day were as bad as his parents feared.

The people were terrified of him, treating him like a monster. A group of men tried to attack him, but he turned into a fly and managed to get away from them and get back home. His parents scolded for what he did, but this day was only going to get even worse.

An angry mob arrived at their house that night, demanding one thing.

"Give us the beast, now!"

Terrified of what might happen to her son, his mother gave him a small bag with flint rocks and a bit of food.

"Garfield" she told him "You need to run away. Your best chance is the forest."

"But Mommy" he protested "Aren't you and Daddy going to come with me?"

"We can't" his father answered "You're gonna have to transform into something small to escape. Mommy and I are gonna stall the mob for as long as we can"

"But-"

"Don't argue Garfield!" his mother snapped "You're running out of time, go now!"

Tears started to run down his face. He hugged his parents for what he knew would be the last time he would see them alive. "I love you Mommy and Daddy"

His parents started crying as well "Go Garfield" said his distraught mother

Garfield turned into a squirrel and escaped his house. The mob had broken their way into his home and he could hear the voices of his parents yelling in pain. He turned around to see his house up in flames. Fear and sadness filling his soul, he continued running deeper and deeper into the forest until collapsing from exhaustion.

Over the years he learned how to survive in the wild. After his last experience with the outside world, he never wanted to leave the forest. In a way, the entire forest was his home. After being alone for years, he missed the outside world. However, he knew what would happen if he returned there. And because of this, the boy needed to stay in his immense home.


	2. Encounter

Rachel lay silently on her straw mattress, contently sleeping through what seemed to be a calm night. The sound of crickets was only barely audible, and was the only sound present other than the occasional gust of wind. Rachel breathed slowly and deeply, in a state of dreamless sleep.

Then, the young sorceress was woken up by the sound of a howl. Slightly startled, she got out of her bed and felt around for her candle holder placed on her nightstand. She always kept it nearby, since she believed it to be useful if she ever needed to get up late into the night. However, even with a light, she could only see a few metres in front of her because of how dim her light was. Rachel slowly walked towards the door of her house, her free hand crackling with dark energy as a precaution. She carefully opened the door leading to the outside, with nary a bead of sweat dripping down her stoic expression. With her candle shedding so little light, the girl had much difficulty seeing anything that might have produced caused the howl.

Then, almost out of nowhere, she saw a large number of small reflections of her light. Rachel brought her candle closer to it until she could see what seemed like a dark mass of fur. Or more accurately, many small masses of fur together. The animals made soft growling noises, eyeing the witch like a predator stalks his prey. She made no sudden moves, not wanting to provoke them. Suddenly, one of the wolves jumped at her, it's mouth watering at the sight of a potential meal. Rachel managed to protect herself using her powers, causing the animal to hit a wall of dark energy. Then, the rest of the pack started to run towards her as well.

The young witch prepared to defend herself "Azarath Metrion Zin-"

Her mantra was interrupted by a scream of pain as she felt one of the wolves biting her arm. She dropped to the ground in agony, giving the other wolves a chance to attack her. In a swarm of bites and scratches, Rachel feared that this would be her end. The pack ferociously mauled her legs, while others aimed their claws at her face. She managed to push back on a few of them, but the girl was simply outnumbered. She persevered, adamant that she would not end up as dinner for a pack of hungry wolves. The pain stopped however when she heard a loud roar. She opened her eyes and saw that the wolves' attention had gone to something else. Judging by the sound of the animal, as well as what she could see from the candle she had dropped, it appeared to be a bear.

She was sure of what would happen next, the bear would scare off the wolves and attempt eat her. A scenario that wouldn't end well for her because of the injuries inflicted on her by the wolves. To her surprise though, the wolves began attacking the bear. The larger animal fought them off, though getting a few injuries as well. Rachel picked up the candle holder and shined it towards the beast fight. She made a strange discovery.

The bear was green! Even with the poor lighting, she could tell that the bear was a bright green. She would've thought more about that fact if the fight wasn't still going on. One of the wolves bit the bear on the leg, causing it to roar out in pain. The battle continued until the wolves decided to give up and left the area. They all ran off, with some whimpering from the pain received from the bear.

The bear limped its way towards Rachel. Worried for her life, she backed away from it, the pain in her arm preventing her from concentrating on her powers. She was shocked once again when she saw the green bear do something unbelievable. He stood up on his hind legs and began shrinking, it's fur seemingly disappearing and its snout retracting back into it's face. The bear that had saved her from the wolves had transformed into a green boy.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a sheepish smile

She took some time to look at him in detail. He was about her age, though a little shorter than her. His clothes were old and all worn out, as if he had been wearing them for years. He looked all beaten and bloody, not surprising after all that happened.

"I'll be okay" she finally answered, her voice not demonstrating any emotion "How about you?"

He grabbed his leg "I'm okay, only a few scratches and bites."

She observed his wounds once more. A few scratches and bites was a bit of an understatement. Some of the wounds seemed fairly deep and probably needed some medical attention, especially a large bite mark on his leg.

"Why don't you come in" she offered "I'll take care of your injuries"

"It's fine" he protested "I'll be-"

"Please" she insisted

He looked at her as if he was going to protest again, but stopped himself. She led him inside her home, hobbling a bit from her own injuries. She took the flint that was on her table and began lighting a fire. She grabbed a small pot already filled with water and proceeded to start boiling it. Rachel waited until she saw a bit of steam and tiny bubbles rising to the surface. She took a cloth and dipped it in the hot water before sterilizing the boy's wounds. He winced in pain as she pressed the hot cloth against him.

"What's your name?" she asked in curiosity

"My name?" he asked back, while grinding his teeth a bit from the pain "Garfield"

She couldn't help but laugh a bit at his name.

"Something funny?"

"No" she said "It's a cute name"

"Thanks" he replied, smiling a bit "What's yours?"

Rachel was quiet for a moment "Rachel"

He smiled "Pretty name"

She blushed at his comment, though tried to hide it "Thank you"

The young witch treated his last wound, causing him to groan in pain once again.

"Okay, Garfield" she said "Whatever happens now, promise you won't freak out"

He looked at her in disbelief "Freak out? I'm a green guy who can turn into animals. I'm surprised you didn't freak out at me."

"Okay" she said before sighing heavily. Her hands then started to glow with mystical energy, and the young girl then placed them on one of his injuries. He looked surprised as she removed her hand from his wound, revealing nothing but green skin. Rachel did the same to all his other wounds, his leg taking more time than the other injuries.

He looked amazed "You're a witch, aren't you?"

Rachel swallowed nervously "Yeah"

To her great surprise, he didn't run away in a panic. She started to heal her own injuries, wondering how Garfield only seemed to have a much more tame reaction than she was expecting.

"Thanks for healing me"

She looked him in the eye "Thanks for saving my life"

"Don't mention it"

"Can I ask you something?" she asked somewhat timidly

"Sure"

"How did you become… well…"

"This" he interrupted, pointing to himself

She blushed a bit, then nodded

"I'll tell ya all about it"

Rachel listened as he talked about the witch curing his disease, but also transforming him. She noticed a tear came to his eye when he talked about the horrible death of his parents. Then he continued to talk about his survival in the woods, how he managed to survive for so long while only having the animals as company.

"That's not a very pleasant story" she stated

He agreed by shaking his head "So what about you? Any crazy backstory worth telling?"

"You sure you want to hear it? It's pretty bad."

He raised his eyebrow in challenge, and she began to talk about how her mother fell in love with an evil sorcerer and died soon after her birth. She talked about Azar and how she was like a mother to her, and how she managed to go on after her tragic passing.

"Sounds like we both have some pretty messed up childhoods, huh?" he said

Rachel agreed and finished healing herself. "Your leg's gonna be weak for a few days. You're welcome to stay here for that time, if you want."

He seemed hesitant "You sure?"

"Just take it as my way of saying thank you" She then headed to a small cupboard on the other side of the room "I've got a spare pillow and a spare blanket for you. No mattress, sorry"

"Don't be sorry" Garfield said "I've lived without a mattress for years. Honestly, a pillow and a blanket are more than enough."

"Good to hear" Rachel said as she handed Garfield both of the objects she had obtained. She then used her powers, turning the now blackened pot of water upside-down to extinguish the fire. The girl walked to her bed, pulling back the covers before sliding back onto her straw mattress. The events of the past few hours had left her tired, yet still curious about her new acquaintance. But answers would have to wait until morning.

"Goodnight, Garfield" she told him in a quiet voice

"Night, Rachel" he replied in a tone almost as quiet as hers

Knowing that dawn was mere hours away, Rachel closed her eyes and allowed herself to return to the peaceful state of slumber that had been interrupted.


	3. Attachment

Garfield slowly woke up from the hard ground he used as a bed, stretching a bit to try to compensate from the discomfort. He observed his surroundings, getting the first clear view of the home, since had only seen it lit up by a small fire the previous night. The shapeshifter noticed that his host was still resting soundly on her bed, her violet hair draped over her face like a veil. He then decided to go and try to find some food to repay her kindness. He still couldn't believe the odds of meeting someone like her out here in the forest.

Normally, he wouldn't trust someone like a witch he met in the forest, mostly witches never had the best reputations. However, he never forgot that it was a witch who saved his life when he was younger. In addition, there was something about Rachel that made him feel like he could trust her. Despite only knowing her since the previous night, he felt some sort of bond forming between them. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen another human being in so long or it was because they both went through some fairly similar experiences when they were younger.

As he exited the small home, he looked at the trees which surrounded her house, trying to find one that bore fruit. He then noticed a very large apple tree, only a short walk from Rachel's home. He walked to the tree and then morphed into a squirrel before he started to climb the tree. His wounded leg made the task much harder than necessary. He had transformed into a squirrel on many occasions, so he had much practice. However, his leg nearly caused him to lose his balance and fall on multiple occasions. In the middle of all the leaves, he changed back into a human, feeling a few branches poking at him from all sides. He noticed that there were plenty of apples there, just ready for picking. He gathered as many apples as he could carry, using his worn out shirt to help carry them, and started climbing back down with one hand keeping the apples from falling. When he was only a few feet off the ground, he let go and landed on his feet, groaning as he felt the pain in his leg again. When he entered the house again, he saw that Rachel was up.

"Good morning" he told her with a smile

"Good morning Garfield" she replied with a nearly-emotionless expression. The witch then saw what he was carrying "I see you've been busy"

He laughed a bit "I thought a bit of breakfast would be in order" he put the apples on the table "How do you like them apples?"

Rachel's eyebrow raised "Really?"

He laughed at her reaction "Oh come on, admit it. It was pretty funny"

She kept her stoic expression, before taking one of the apples from the table. "Where'd you get these?"

He took a fruit as well "From that tree in front of the house" he pointed to the tree from which he got the apples.

Rachel seemed surprised "Really? I thought I gathered every apple from that tree"

He laughed some more "It's a bit far from _every_ apple, there are dozens of them in the middle of the leaves"

"I never get any from there" she stated "Too many branches get in the way"

"That's why it helps to be able to transform into animals" he said while grinning "Though that still didn't keep me from getting one or two scratches"

Rachel took a bite of her apple "So how's your leg?"

He rubbed his injury "Getting better, I won't be running very much any time soon, though"

She managed a very small smile "You know Garfield, you're the first person I've seen in a very long time"

"Same here" he stated

As the two finished their apples. Rachel looked out the window "I'm gonna go check on my garden, you wanna come with me?"

Garfield was a bit surprised "You have a garden?"

"Of course" she answered "You think I eat apples for breakfast lunch and dinner?"

He smiled and followed her out the house. She stopped for a moment in front of a tree, not the same as the one he picked apples from. This tree looked much older than the other, and it was also much bigger.

Her silence began to make him uncomfortable "Rachel, what's wrong?"

She pointed to the carving in the tree bark. Garfield read it and realized why she was tearful.

"Not a day goes by when I don't miss her" she said, turning towards him

He stared at the ground in silence before adding "I know what you mean", he then looked and saw what appeared to be a tombstone. "Who's grave does that belong to?"

Rachel sighed sadly "That's my mother. She… well, you remember what I told you"

Garfield was taken aback "Oh… Right, I'm sorry"

She sighed again, regaining her composure "I think that's enough mourning for now. You want to see my garden"

He smiled, though did not say another word.

Rachel slowly walked away from the graves, with Garfield trailing behind her. When they got to the back of her house, she showed him her garden. It was nothing particularly big but it was enough to help feed one or two people.

He looked towards her "It's nice"

She blushed a little "Thanks, Garfield" she turned to face him "Can I call you Gar?"

He chuckled "Sure. It was always a pet name that my parents called me."

"Yeah, well my pet name was Rachel"

"Really?" he asked curiously "Well I'm sure we can think of something for you" he thought about it for moment "How about… Rae"

"Very original" she said sarcastically "Honestly, I think it'll take some getting used to"

Garfield smirked "Is that a challenge?"

She scoffed a bit before rolling up her sleeves and getting to work. The shapeshifter then joined her, giving her one of his cheesy smiles.

* * *

That evening, the two had prepared a dinner consisting of the vegetables found in Rachel's garden. The young witch then took a ladle and poured the hot soup into two wooden bowls. She put their dinner on the table, where Garfield had everything already set up.

Rachel looked towards Garfield, who was eating his soup slightly faster than her "You know, for a guy who has lived in the forest with no human contact whatsoever, you have some pretty good table manners."

He laughed "I guess there are some things I never forgot. My mom always had to remind me of stuff like that"

She looked towards the table, avoiding eye contact "I know the feeling. Ever since I was alone here, not once have I forgotten the lessons that Azar taught me. Though I have learned a few new things as well"

Garfield continued to eat his supper "Kinda like how I learned to live in the wilderness"

"Yeah" she said in acknowledgement "Only I didn't necessarily need to learn magic to just stay alive out here"

He laughed slightly at that

Rachel seemed a bit nervous "Gar, do you… um… would you like to… uh"

"Would I like to what?" he asked, eager to know what she was trying to say

She took a deep breath "Would you like to stay here?"

He was a bit confused "I thought I was" he grew a bit nervous "You know, until my leg gets better"

"N-no I-I meant" she said timidly "… would you like to live here with me?"

He blushed "Are you serious?"

She nodded

"Why do want me to stay? I mean, it's awfully nice of you, but… why? "

"I don't know" she responded "I guess it's because… you have such a wonderful personality and… well, I enjoy your company"

He was touched by her honesty "Thanks. You know, I won't lie. I like your company too." he chuckled a bit "And here I thought you thought I was annoying"

"Well to be completely honest..." she then stopped herself "Never mind that. So, are you staying?"

He took a moment to finally say it "Sure"

"Really?" she asked with a hint of excitement in her monotone

"Really" he answered

"Okay" she said, appearing a bit in disbelief. Her face then returned to it's normal state "Just one last thing"

"Sure, what?"

She gave a tiny smirk "If you're gonna tell jokes here, try to make them somewhat funny"

He simply smiled at her in response


	4. Friendship

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the characters**

* * *

The next few days were interesting for Rachel. The morning after Garfield had accepted to stay with her, they decided to go for a small walk in the woods surrounding the house. They tried to stay relatively close to her… their house. He was an interesting boy. Granted, she found him to be a bit annoying at times, particularly when he would tell some of those awful jokes, but he had such a pleasant personality as well.

The forest was remarkably quiet that day, which was not something that Rachel disapproved of. She didn't hate hearing a few birds singing or the sound of the leaves rustling in the gusts of wind, but she always did prefer more quiet surroundings. As it was the beginning of fall, many of the trees had started the process of changing colour. Some still had some fruit that would be worth picking if they wanted.

"Look" Rachel said while pointing to a bush "We could gather a few berries from that"

Garfield laughed "Not a good idea. I know those berries too well. They'll make you sick for days."

Rachel looked at him with a slightly surprised look

"Trust me" he continued "I learned that the hard way"

She smiled a bit before they continued their walk. While the two of them were starting to bond, they still had some trouble maintaining some conversations. They were silent for a few minutes before Rachel started another conversation.

"So Gar, do you believe in coincidences?"

He turned to face her "Kind of a direct question don't you think?"

She nodded

He sighed "Well… I'm sure it is possible that two convenient things could happen. Like, I don't know, two random people meeting or something like that"

"Interesting choice for an example" she noted

He laughed softly "Okay Rae, where are you going with this? Hm. Do you think that the two of us meeting was just a coincidence?"

"Maybe" she answered "But it seems awfully convenient that in this enormous forest, we managed to meet."

"Yeah" he agreed "On the other hand, it did take years of me wandering for me to meet you."

Rachel took a step closer to him "You keep talking about how you travelled this forest for years. I take it you must have seen some very nice places"

He nodded "There were one or two places that I really liked and I would've loved to stay, but I had to keep moving to find more food" He smiled lightly "What about you, you been to any places around here that were nice?"

"No" she replied "Other than a few walks every now and then, I've always been around my house"

He looked surprised "You mean you've never gone much further from your house than this?"

"Actually, this is the furthest I've ever been from my house"

"You've never went to another spot in these woods?"

"No"

"Tell me you've at least flown into the skies to see the forest from a birds eye view?"

"Never"

"Well" he said "We better change that… and quick"

In an instant, he transformed into a falcon and took flight high up in the air

Rachel barely had time to realize what had happened "Wha- Garfield, get back down here!"

The falcon cried back, but soared even higher. She then flew up after him. He was very fast, so much so that she had trouble even keeping her eyes focused on him. He started to slow down, giving her the chance she needed to catch up. When she did, she looked at him with a frown.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, mildly annoyed at him

The falcon pointed its head towards the ground

"What are you-"

She stopped herself when she saw what he was pointing at. She saw an ocean of green beneath her feet, with spots of blue which were lakes and rivers and tiny dots of yellow and orange on some trees. In the distance, she could see her house. It looked so small from where she was, like it would easily fit in the palm of her hand. she saw some majestic trees in the distance that towered over the others. On another side, she saw mountains that seemed to reach all the way up to the sun. A bit closer to her home, yet still a considerable distance away there appeared to be a all of her time here, she had never seen a sight more breathtaking than what lay before her eyes at that very moment.

"It's beautiful" she whispered, before turning her head to face the falcon. "Thank you… for showing me this"

The falcon slowly flew towards their home. The young witch followed Garfield, her eyes attempting to not leave the beautiful sight that she, up until this point, did not even know existed. They slowly started to descend when they approached the house, Rachel still not believing what she just saw.

Garfield changed back into a human "So, did ya like it?"

At a loss for words, Rachel hugged him as hard as she could. She felt his arms wrapping around her as well.

"I'll take that as a yes"

She smirked at his comment before reverting back to her normal stoic expression.

Despite knowing that she could not enjoy it too much, Rachel knew this was only the beginning of a fantastic friendship.

* * *

 _Rachel was in a somber room. Dark flames surrounded her, keeping her from going anywhere._

 _A man approached her, his mere presence sending chills down her spine. His skin was a hellish red, like he was completely drenched in blood. He had horns on top of his head that slightly resembled deer antlers. Even without speaking to her, Rachel felt an evil presence from the being._

 _"_ _Hello Rachel" he said in a deep, menacing voice_

 _Rachel was petrified when she saw him. "How do you know my name?"_

 _"_ _The time is approaching, Rachel" he continued, not answering her question "MY time is approaching"_

 _"_ _Who are you?"_

 _"_ _You know that answer"_

 _A horrible realization came across her mind "No… you're not-"_

 _"_ _Yes Rachel" he interrupted "I am Trigon. I am your father"_

 _She dreaded this day "No"_

 _Trigon took a step towards her, reaching out his hand._

 _"_ _You know it is unavoidable" he told her "Nobody can protect you from me"_

 _She tried to use her powers to repel him, but she then realized that she was unable to conjure a single spell. Trigon approached his hand to her shoulder. The mere contact shot pain through Rachel's body._

 _"_ _Don't touch me!" she yelled "NO!"_

Rachel jerked awake, screaming at the top of her lungs. She tried to calm herself down, but the images of her nightmare were too horrible for her to do that.

She started to panic when she heard footsteps approaching her. She could not see anything, but the footsteps grew closer and closer. Her hand began to glow with magic, prepared to defend herself against whatever was coming towards her. Every muscle in her body tensed as she saw the moonlight reveal a figure slowly walking towards her.

"Rae, are you alright?"

Hearing the voice of her friend, Rachel completely calmed down.

"Sorry" she said, embarrassed at her extreme reaction "It's just a nightmare. Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah" he said "Don't worry about it." He slowly walked towards her "You wanna talk about it?"

She sighed heavily "Okay"

Garfield sat down on the edge of her bed

"You remember when I told you about my father"

"Yeah" he replied "And from what you told me, I don't think anyone envies you for having that dude as your dad."

"Well" she swallowed nervously "In my nightmare, he told me that his time was coming, and that it was inevitable. I couldn't look away" She shuddered "Then… he touched my shoulder. It felt like an animal was biting me."

Garfield was silent for a moment "Well, I'm not gonna lie, that is pretty scary"

She nodded "All this time… I thought that I was hidden from him." She started to cry "That he… would never find me. Guess I was wrong"

He put his hand on hers "Rae, it's alright. It was just a nightmare"

She wiped away her tears. "I know but… there was just something about it that just disturbed me"

"Well, you're gonna be okay. That's a promise"

She felt an immense sense of comfort when he said those words "Thank you Gar"

"You're welcome Rae." He replied "Now try to get some sleep, okay."

She separated herself from his hug and laid down on the bed "I'll try, but it won't be easy"

She heard him sigh, but it was his next action that really surprised her.

He gently lifted the blanket and lay down next to her.

Naturally, she was alarmed "What the hell are you doing?"

"You're scared" he whispered "I thought you might be a bit less with me here with you"

"I could also launch you halfway across the forest"

He chuckled "You sure could, but you'd have a hard time sleeping would you? Besides, I'm not feeling you up or copping a feel or whatever. You'll just be on one side of the bed and I'll be on the other"

"Ummm… ok?"

"Don't worry" he continued "It's only for tonight"

Rachel was more confused than anything else, but she decided to try and sleep. He wasn't wrong, him being there definitely made her feel less scared.

"Gar" she said quietly

"Yeah"

"Don't get any ideas."

She could almost feel his smile "I won't Rae, we're still just friends"

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry that this took a while to publish, unfortunately school has started again, so I have a lot less time to work on this.**

 **Also, thank you so much for everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed this. I really didn't think many people would like it.**


	5. Love

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the characters

* * *

Every day that Garfield spent with Rachel, the more he started to care about her. Days turned into weeks. Weeks then turned into months.

He was always familiar with staying in one place for a night or two, and then leave the next day. It was very rare that he could find enough food around him to last him more than a short period of time. However, overtime, he started to get used to his new lifestyle. The two of them had worked out quite an efficient work plan. He would gather food from trees by changing into his animal forms, whilst she would stick to the foods that grew in her garden. For cooking, they would alternate every day, though he would sometimes cook for a few nights in a row. That did not bother him though, quite the contrary, he seemed to enjoy it.

The young witch had started to become a bit less shy with him, but still showed little to no emotion. Rachel and he had also made him some new clothes, replacing the ones he had been wearing for years in the woods. His old clothes were far too small for him, not surprising given the fact that he had grown considerably since his parents had died.

His parents…

There was not a single moment where he did not miss his father's laugh or his mother's smile. They were the only family he had ever had… until now.

While Rachel could never replace his parents, she was still the only other person to accept him not for what he looked like, but for what he was like inside. And that truly touched him.

* * *

Night was falling on the forest, the orange-red sky slowly turned into near blackness as the sun hid itself behind the horizon. The only lights to be seen were the brief flashes from the fireflies and the warm glow from the hearth of a tiny house. Outside, laying down on the tiny blades of green grass was a boy that blended in almost perfectly. Garfield merely looked up at the sky, resting after a long day. Every once in a while, he could see a star joining itself to the darkening sky. Little by little, more stars appeared until the now black sky was full of little white dots.

"Garfield" he heard Rachel call

"I'm out here, Rae" he answered

Garfield could hear the grass rustle as his friend came out of the house, walking towards him

"Aren't you gonna come inside?" she asked, her voice lacking any semblance of emotion (as per usual) "It's getting late"

The shapeshifter sat up a bit "Actually Rae, I think I'm gonna stay out here for a while."

"Oh, okay" she said shyly "What are you doing?"

"Looking at the sky" he answered "I always found it so beautiful at night"

"Sounds… fun" she said, somewhat sarcastically

"Yeah" he replied, before lying back down on the ground.

"Well" she continued "I'll just leave you to it, then" She turned around and started heading back inside

Garfield was a little perplexed at her reaction. Rachel always seemed a bit anti-social, but this was different. It almost seemed like she thought that he was excluding her. And he would most certainly not have her think that.

"Rachel" he called to her

The girl looked towards him. "Yeah?"

"Uh" he was a bit nervous "You… wanna join me?"

She immediately blushed "Um… sure"

The changeling made a motion for her to come closer. She did so, approaching him quite slowly, as if a bit shy, and lying next to him. They two simply laid there, not saying a single word to one another. The situation was quite awkward for the boy, so he broke the silence.

"Look" he said "You can see the moon coming out from behind the trees"

Rachel turned her head to see the moon.

"Yeah, I can see it" she said, also trying to ease the tension. The two friends reverted back to the awkward silence "You're right" she told him, attempting to break the awkwardness "The sky really is beautiful"

Garfield laughed a bit at her comment. He could tell that she was also trying to help the situation, and like his attempt, it did not appear to be working. The shapeshifter then turned his head to face her. And then… something clicked.

He saw her, lying there in the grass next to him. The pale moonlight that shined upon her made her truly beautiful. How did he not see this before? He had been living with her for five months now, and it was only now that he had seen her beauty. He had always thought of her as a friend, maybe with a few hints of them becoming more, but he never thought about it as much as at that moment.

He went over everything that had happened in the last few months in his head again. He had met her by pure coincidence, befriended her, moved in with her and now… he only wanted to be close to her. This wasn't some random chain of events, this had to be orchestrated by some higher being. Either that, or he was secretly the luckiest person to have ever walked the earth.

And at that moment, he knew what he wanted to do. He slowly moved his hand and gently placed it over hers. She immediately turned her head towards him, her face filled with shock. But that quickly changed when she made eye contact with him. He stared into those gorgeous violet eyes, as if looking into two amethyst circles that shined beautifully with the moonlight. He could not look away, not that he wanted to though. He felt her warm hand being softly placed on his face. Her face seemed to glow with realisation, as if she was feeling the same way he was.

"Garfield" she whispered "I… I think I'm… in love with you"

He approached his face to hers "Me too" he managed to say before pressing their lips together.

The shapeshifter could not believe what was happening. The two of them were pressing their lips together, both feeling ever so content with the situation. Rachel managed to bring her arms behind his head, pulling him even closer. Garfield performed a similar action, wrapping his hands around her back, bringing her body closer to his. He loved the way her lips tasted, he loved the way her hand felt, and he loved _her_. He never wanted this moment to end, but it did.

Rachel slowly parted their lips "I-I've never felt like this about anyone before"

He put his hand under her chin "Me neither."

Instead of looking happy, Rachel looked worried "But… should we? I mean, neither of us has ever been in love before. Are we even sure that our feelings for each other are… real?"

He looked once more into her purple eyes. "Rachel, I may not have been in love before. But I can assure you, my feelings for you are absolutely real."

Garfield saw the worry in her face change to happiness. It was so rare for Rachel to show any emotion whatsoever, yet here she was with a pleasant smile on her face.

"And also" he added "Tonight, the night sky isn't the only beautiful thing"

She gave him a slight smirk, as if telling him something like "Really?". Garfield grinned, knowing how cliché that must have sounded. The young witch put her hands back behind his head and pulled him closer, kissing him once more. He kissed her back, tasting her lips again. He ran his fingers through her hair, smoothing it out all the way down to her waist. The soft violet fibers tickled his fingertips ever so slightly. Their kisses grew more intense, more passionate. She held onto him more tightly, and he did the same.

He then stopped and pulled back from her. The young witch seemed confused at his action, as if perhaps she had done something wrong.

He smiled at her "It's late. Maybe we should get to bed."

She agreed by nodding slightly. They got up from the hard ground and entered their house, their hands interlocked. He followed her to her bed, never letting her hand go. She got under the covers and pulled him in with her. While in the safety of their home, they continued their expressions of love. This time, Garfield had no intentions of ending it any time soon.

* * *

Garfield slowly awakened from his pleasant slumber. It always felt nice to sleep on a mattress, though he usually only slept on one when Rachel had a nightmare. Garfield attempted to get up, but was faced with a rather pleasant obstacle. Rachel, his new lover, had her head and her hand on his chest, holding him down to the bed. She was awake too, though she wasn't getting up.

"Good morning" she told him, smiling slightly

He smiled back "Morning" He yawned "You been up long?"

She sighed contently "Not very"

He pressed his forehead against hers "So, any ideas for breakfast?"

She closed her eyes "Well, we have a few spare apples from yesterday"

"Sounds good"

"And" she continued "I thought that breakfast in bed might be a good idea"

He chuckled "You read my mind"

He kissed her nose before he got up from the embrace to prepare their breakfast.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, I'm gonna apologize for two things:**

 **1\. Sorry that it's been a while again (school)**

 **2\. Sorry that this chapter is so cheesy that it borders on the lines of cringy**


	6. Mistake

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the characters**

* * *

Rachel tended to her garden as she always did. She picked out everything from her carrots, to her radishes to her tomatoes, being sure to take the ripest ones of the bunch. Nothing was very different about this time, except for one detail. She was happier than she had ever been in her entire life. It had been five days since Garfield and her had become a couple, and she loved every microsecond of it.

The girl looked over her shoulder to see him picking some more fruit from the trees, knowing that they would be eating many apples or pears in the near future, much like they always did. He saw her and smiled at her before climbing down.

"Need any help with the garden?"

"No" she answered "I got this covered"

"You sure?"

She nodded.

The green boy merely shrugged that off and headed back inside the house… after coming over to her and kissing her cheek of course. Rachel returned to work, smiling timidly and blushing. How lucky was she? She had met this young man only a few months ago and now… she loved him more than anything. Not since her mentor's tragic death had she let someone into her heart like this.

He was just such a nice boy. Kind, brave, funny… well maybe not that last one. Anyway, she loved how much he helped her and cared for her. Like how he cooked most of the time, how he always try to make her smile and how he held her close to him whenever she had nightmares. Why only a few weeks after meeting her, he laid down next to her so she would sleep better. That was very helpful to her, as she seemed to be getting more and more nightmares.

That's when a horrible thought went through Rachel's mind. The nightmare she had on that night was the first time she had seen her father. It was a bit of a coincidence how she would have that nightmare not very long after meeting Garfield. She began to think into more detail. The night she met him, he saved her from a pack of hungry wolves. Wolves rarely attack humans anyway, so it was quite convenient of him to be there at that exact moment. Too convenient even.

The happiness in Rachel's mind then turned to anger. Was Garfield connected to her father somehow? No, that couldn't be possible, she would have empathically sensed if he was trying to deceive her. Yet again, her father was apparently a powerful warlock. And magic to cover up one's true emotions was not unheard of. He must be linked to Trigon in some way. How could he have done this to her? She trusted him, befriended him, loved him! She invited him to stay, made new clothes for him and opened her heart and soul to him. How could he take advantage of her like this? She felt betrayed, used, manipulated.

She started to imagine what plan her father was concocting. Sending Garfield to her so he could gain her trust, only to then stab her in the back and take her to her father. Probably something around those lines. Well she wasn't going to let that happen! She tried to calm down, make sure her emotions were in check. Maybe she was overthinking this, maybe this was just a convenient thread of coincidences. But yet again, this seemed a bit much to just be coincidences.

She stopped her work in the garden and made her way into the house, seething with rage. She saw him, preparing their lunch as he did normally.

"So, you done in the garden?" he asked before turning to face her.

His smile. Even though now she was almost sure he was faking it, looked real.

Garfield seemed surprised at her expression "Everything okay?"

"How could you!?"

The surprise on his face turned to complete confusion "What are you talking about?"

She took a step towards him "You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

His confusion grew more and more, shifting now to worry "Rae, I-"

"Don't you say my name" she shouted, her emotions causing one of her books to fly across the room. Rachel concentrated on controlling her anger, but that was no easy task. "How could I have not seen this sooner?"

"Rae, please! Tell me what's goi-"

"Are you working for Trigon!?" she interrupted "Look me in the eye and tell me!"

"Rachel, calm down! I'm having a hard time follo-"

"Shut up!" She slapped him across the jaw so hard that I caused him to fall down.

He rubbed the cheek that was now sore "You… You hit me? What the hell's gotten into you?!"

"That's nothing to what I've got planned for you next! Now tell me, why did Trigon send you to me?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. Answer my question"

He appeared beyond nervous "I promise you, I'm not working for your father"

She didn't believe him for a minute "Oh really? Then how do you explain the fact that you saved me from that pack of wolves at the perfect moment? A second later and I would have been wolf supper, yet you came at just the right moment!"

Beads of sweat were rolling down his face "I don't know what to say. I heard you screaming, I came to help. That's what happened"

"Liar! What about the nightmare about my father, hmm? Pretty big coincidence that I got it not so long after meeting you."

"Rae" he told her, his voice shaking "Please listen to me"

"No you listen. I allowed you to stay in my home, and you betray me like this? How could I ever believe that someone like you could ever love me?"

The sweat ran down his face even faster "Rae, I do love you."

"Of course you do" she said sarcastically "A freak like you love someone? How is a monster capable of love?"

Tears ran down his eyes and mixed with the sweat, and his face seemed to turn to anger "What did you call me!?" he said with a low growl present in his voice

"Oh don't give me those crocodile tears" she shouted "And since you're not gonna tell me about my father's plans, I'll just have to find out by other means"

She closed her eyes and focused her powers on entering his mind. She tried to search for the memories which involved Trigon giving the instructions to him. But she found nothing like that. She did, however, find other memories.

Rachel saw a young Garfield, playing with his parents, having fun with them like she imagined most young children would. She then saw him when he was ill, and his transformation into what he was today. The villagers who tried to kill him on his first day out of the house, the final words given to him by his parents, his home being burned and the sounds of his parents screaming in pain. Him living for years in nature, living on the food he could find in the woods. Rachel saw everything.

She immediately pulled out of his mind. Garfield was staring at her in anger and fear, and not without reason. She had yelled at him, accused him of treason, hit him and invaded the privacy of his own mind, and for what? Her hypothesis was proven completely wrong. She had released all her anger on the person that she loved because she thought that some random events somehow meant that he was working for her father. Maybe she was a bit right to assume that some of this was suspicious, but she let her anger get far too out of control. All her nightmares and fears of her father had boiled up into this horrid explosion of rage onto her boyfriend.

She leaned out her hand, wanting to treat his sore cheek, but Garfield took it the wrong way. He morphed into a rabbit and ran out of the house and into the forest.

As soon as she saw him leave, she chased after him. He was the only person whom she had loved, and she had practically told him to get out of her life. She called him a monster, how could she even say such a thing like that? She had to apologize for what she did, even though he may never accept it.

"Garfield!" she cried into the forest "Garfield, I'm sorry!"

She heard nothing but the rustling of the leaves in the wind.

* * *

 **A/N: 1. Happy Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Holidays everyone! Hope you guys have an amazing time with your friends and family!**

 **2\. I know, it's been a few months since my last upload. Sorry about that**

 **3\. I tried my hand at some angst/drama here, though I'm not sure whether or not I'm any good at it.**

 **4\. Yeah, I guess it is cruel to leave you guys on a cliffhanger after months since my last upload. BUT WORRY NOT! For the next chapter will most likely be in much less time than this one.**


	7. Forgiving

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of the characters**

* * *

The green rabbit ran through the woods as fast as he could, practically fearing for his life. He could hear Rachel's voice coming from behind him, but he did not listen to what she was saying, focusing more on running. After a while, he stopped his escapade, too exhausted to continue.

Garfield transformed back into his normal state, panting from all the running he had done. What had gone through Rachel's mind? When he saw her in the garden, she was happy and smiling. And then the next minute, she was biting his head off. What did she say again? Something about him working for her father? Why would she think that? Not to mention her calling him a monster. That insult still made his blood boil. She had never called him something that she knew was so hurtful to him.

The shapeshifter rubbed his cheek, still sore from earlier. He could not believe that Rachel had actually hit him. Of all the time he had been with her, not once did they ever hit each other. They naturally had fights before, but they at the most led to them not talking to one another for a while. And even then, they would always make up in the end. Especially now, with them having recently become a couple, their fights had drastically lowered.

Garfield leaned against a tree, attempting to rest a bit more. That, however, was impossible. Rachel was still out there, and he didn't want to know what would happen to him if she found him. Only about thirty minutes ago, he would want nothing but to be with her. Now, he feared for his life if she came within metres of him. In most cases, he would have fought back instead of running, seeing as how he and his powers could pose a threat to most enemies. But even in a state of fear and anger, he could not find himself able to fight his girlfriend.

"Garfield!" he heard her scream

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Instinctively, he changed into a mouse and hid behind the tree he was leaning on. The origin point of her voice must have been fairly close, maybe about twenty metres away. His heart raced as he heard the sound of leaves rustling coming closer and closer.

"Garfield!" she cried again

The boy got a cold shiver down his spine. The voice had gone from about twenty metres away to two! He stayed perfectly still, not wanting to make the slightest bit of noise. He kept himself from squeaking as he saw her slowly float by him, obviously looking for him. She was so close to him, if he had not transformed into a mouse, she surely would have spotted him already.

" _Please don't see me. Please don't see me_ " he thought to himself

He was so nervous that when a bird flew off a tree, the sound of the flapping wings caused him to squeak.

Rachel quickly turned her head and saw him almost immediately. "Gar!"

He changed into a fox and scurried away from her as fast as he could.

"Gar, wait!"

He ignored what she said. Since he was still tired from before, he wouldn't be able to run for as much. The changeling could see her shadow coming towards him, catching up to him. He made one last sprint to get away from her.

"Garfield, please listen to m-"

Her sentence ended at the same time that he heard a loud _thud,_ like the sound of something hitting a large branch. He could no longer see her shadow chasing him, which made him gradually slow down and finally stop. He turned back and saw nothing but foliage. He was just about ready to leave the area until he heard her voice once again.

"G… Gar" he heard her say again, this time her voice was breaking.

He slowly made his way towards the sound of her voice. The fox crawled between the tall plants and saw Rachel laying on the ground and crying.

He transformed into a human again and slowly walked towards her.

"You alright, Rae?" he asked

Her head was bleeding as if she had hit it on something hard. The injury was a few inches in length, coming very close in contact with her red stone on her forehead. She must have hit it on a low hanging branch while she was flying towards him.

Garfield saw that he had two options, both with problems. If he left her, he would not have to face her wrath once more, though she would surely die from the bleeding if he didn't take her back to the house and treat her. If he did that though, she might still be infuriated towards him for before.

He made up his mind though. The reason why she had yelled at him was because she thought that he did not care for her. By doing this, he would be proving her wrong.

"Rae" he told her "Just stay awake, you're gonna be okay"

"Garfield" she muttered "I-I'm..."

"Shhh" The young man hushed while putting his hand to her cheek "You'll be okay"

He lifted her up and put her on his back before transforming into a horse. He trotted through the forest and made his way back to their house as quickly as he could.

Shortly thereafter, the two arrived at their home. The shapeshifter reverted back to his human form and brought his lover into the house. He laid Rachel down on the bed, wetting a cloth and placing it on her forehead to help stop the bleeding.

"You feeling any better?"

She tiredly nodded "Gar… I'm so sorry. I-I thought that-"

"That doesn't matter right now" he interrupted "What matters is that you just need to stay awake. Try to keep talking, it might help." He was of course still upset about what happened, but he figured that they could talk about it when she got better.

She sat up a bit "Okay, I'll keep talking. I'm sorry for what I did."

"Rae"

"Really, what I did was inexcusable. I called you a monster and hit you!" she sighed "I feel like such an idiot"

"It's fine, Rae"

"Really? Tell me that you're not mad at me right now"

Garfield was silent for a moment, but then answered her "Ok, yeah I'm pretty pissed at what you said and did." He touched his sore cheek again "Can I ask you something?"

She appeared to be a bit worried "Go ahead"

"Why made you think that I was working for your father?"

She let out another sigh "I just thought that some of the events that followed our meeting were a little coincidental."

"A little?"

"Okay, very. Point is, I thought that everything that happened between us was a lie. I jumped to conclusions without thinking them through entirely. Now, thankfully, I know better. And again, I'm sorry"

Garfield smiled at his injured girlfriend "Can I ask you something else?"

She smiled back "Sure"

"When you entered my mind, what did you see?"

Her smile dropped as he mentioned that "Well first of all, I'm also sorry for that."

"You don't to apologize again Rae, I got the message the thousandth time" he said jokingly

She smirked a bit "But to answer your question, I saw what happened before we met."

He raised an eye brow "Like what?"

She swallowed "Like… you becoming the way you are now, leaving the house to explore the outside and..."

He put a hand to her cheek "And what?"

Her amethyst eyes stared into his "Your parents dying"

A tear almost came to his eye when he was reminded of that event. It was something that he always tried to forget, but never managed to.

"What else?"

"That's it. I pulled out of your mind right after that."

A smile returned to his face "Then why don't you go back in?"

"What?" she asked, seeming perplexed

"There are a few more memories that I want you to see." He continued "And since you've already seen some pretty bad ones, let's try to focus on some happier memories"

She moved a hand from her forehead "You sure about this?"

He nodded. This was something that she needed to see.

And with that, Rachel closed her eyes and spoke her mantra. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos"

He felt her go into his mind once more. He heard her laugh a bit at the memories she was experiencing. She pulled out and opened her eyes again, smiling widely.

"So, what'd you see" he asked

Rachel brought herself closer to him, wrapping an arm around him

"I saw" she said quietly "You showing me the forest from a birds eye view, sleeping next to me when I had nightmares and…" She snuggled her head next to his "our first kiss under the stars"

Garfield wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. He could hear her voice say something else softly "I think I'm gonna go into a healing trance." She then brought her head back so she could look into his eyes "Could you stay with me, though?"

He smiled "Of course, Rae"

Rachel gave a bit of a smile back. The empath then proceeded to lay back down on the bed.

"Rae?" he asked just as she was prepared to drift off

"Mm-hm" the girl replied

"I just wanted you to know that I forgive you"

She smiled and held his hand when she heard that "Thank you" Her eyes then closed and she repeated her mantra yet again.

At that moment, Garfield put what had previously happened aside and stayed by his girlfriend, making sure she was going to be alright

* * *

 **A/N: Well, this was a much shorter wait, eh? But come on, it would be cruel to leave you guys on a long wait after a cliffhanger ;)**

 **So yeah, everything's fine between these two. Just wanted to try my hand at some drama (I still got some work to do on improving this). Yeah, I guess Rachel was pretty quick to come to the conclusion that Garfield was working for Trigon, but I wanted to show that the nightmares were starting to get to her. Again, I got some work to do. But all in all, I'm pretty happy with how this story is going.**


End file.
